UNI's Matt Bohannon goes after a loose ball during the North Carolina at UNI basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in the McLeod Center. The Panthers won the game 71 to 67. Kelsey Kremer/The Register

UNI's Wes Washpun chases after a loose ball during the North Carolina at UNI basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in the McLeod Center. The Panthers won the game 71 to 67. Kelsey Kremer/The Register

UNI's Jeremy Morgan celebrates near the end of the game during the North Carolina at UNI basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in the McLeod Center. The Panthers won the game 71 to 67. Kelsey Kremer/The Register

UNI's Wes Washpun poses for a selfie with a fan after the North Carolina at UNI basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in the McLeod Center. The Panthers won the game 71-67. Kelsey Kremer/The Register

A UNI fan holds up a sign for UNI's Jeremy Morgan during the North Carolina at UNI basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in the McLeod Center. The Panthers won the game 71 to 67. Kelsey Kremer/The Register

UNI's Wyatt Lohaus brings the ball across the court during the North Carolina at UNI basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in the McLeod Center. The Panthers won the game 71 to 67. Kelsey Kremer/The Register

UNI's Matt Bohannon shoots a three-point-shot during the North Carolina at UNI basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in the McLeod Center. The Panthers won the game 71 to 67. Kelsey Kremer/The Register

North Carolina's Theo Pinson reacts to committing a foul during the North Carolina at UNI basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in the McLeod Center. The Panthers won the game 71 to 67. Kelsey Kremer/The Register

UNI's Wyatt Lohaus looses control of the ball during the North Carolina at UNI basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in the McLeod Center. The Panthers won the game 71 to 67. Kelsey Kremer/The Register

North Carolina's Marcus Paige shoots the ball during warm-ups before the North Carolina at UNI basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in the McLeod Center. The Panthers won the game 71 to 67. Kelsey Kremer/The Register

UNI's Wes Washpun poses for a selfie with a fan after the North Carolina at UNI basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in the McLeod Center. The Panthers won the game 71-67. (Photo: Kelsey Kremer/The Register)Buy Photo

“You just don’t get a Louisville or a Kentucky or a Kansas usually to come to your house, veteran Northern Iowa play-by-play man Gary Rima said. “When it was North Carolina, there’s no doubt there was as big a buzz around a nonconference game as I’ve seen in my 24 years of doing the games.”

The Tar Heel deal was a two-for-one. In order to give former Linn-Mar standout Marcus Paige a solid homecoming — something North Carolina coach Roy Williams has done repeatedly for his seniors over the years — the Tar Heels visited Northern Iowa's McLeod Center on Nov. 21, 2015, with the Panthers trekking to Chapel Hill each of the next two years.

The first of those Dean Dome visits comes Wednesday, when UNI (5-5) will play at North Carolina (10-2) for the first time in school history.

The UNI student section cheers for the Panthers during the North Carolina at UNI basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in the McLeod Center. (Photo: Kelsey Kremer/The Register)

Pregame

The Panthers have held their own in the college basketball world recently, but something like this just doesn’t happen. Cedar Falls was buzzing — early and often.

UNI guard Jeremy Morgan: Even pulling into the game, you see the lines for the doors are all the way down the street and around the corner. That doesn’t happen here very much. So you see that, and it gets you going a little bit more.

Rima: The place was just electric that day. There was a buzz from the time they opened up the doors and the fans piled in there. A lot of times at our home games, you don’t really see the fans standing down around the court to try and get as close as they possibly can to the players. … To see them standing down around the court just kind of in awe taking it all in, that's when it really hit me: ‘Man, we got the Tar Heels in our house!’

UNI coach Ben Jacobson: There have been some big ones, but that was the loudest it had been and the longest that it had stayed that loud. My years are the same as the building, so at that time starting the 10th year, of all the important games and all the sellouts that we’ve had, that’s the loudest it had ever been.

Former UNI guard Matt Bohannon: That’s what college basketball is all about. That’s why we dogfight through practice and offseason workouts and all those types of things. That’s just what you look forward to. You want the gym to be packed. You want to be warming up and see all those students rushing in — just knowing that for those two hours, you were at the epitome of college basketball. You knew if you beat them, you were going to be talked about for days and days to come.

UNI forward Ted Friedman: I just live for those big games, and that’s what we’re here for. I woke up and was ready to go, and I had a great feeling that morning. It was more excitement than nerves, because to be honest, if you lose that game, nothing really happens. There’s nothing to lose. You just put everything out on the line, and what happens, happens.

Rima: North Carolina was a lot bigger and stronger than us. Just watching them warm up, Kevin Boyle, my color commentator, we both looked at each other and said, 'Man, they’ve got a bunch of men out there. Look how big they are.’ It looked like it was going to be men against boys when you looked at their athleticism, their size, their length.

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The North Carolina at UNI basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in the McLeod Center.(Photo: Kelsey Kremer/The Register)

First-half buzz

A back-and-forth affair quickly ensued, as neither team led by more than six in the first nine minutes. Paul Jesperson’s free throws gave UNI a 21-20 lead as the clock crept under six minutes until halftime, but the Tar Heels immediately punched back with an 11-0 run to go up by double digits. A Wes Washpun half-court buzzer beater was a late spark, cutting the Panthers’ halftime deficit to 41-32.

Jacobson: We felt like we had to get off to a start that had us in the game — even if it’s five minutes in or seven minutes in — to get that initial part of the game where it’s a one-possession game either way or a two-possession game, so we’re not immediately stuck in a hole. And we had accomplished that. And then it gives the crowd an opportunity to be in the game. That first 10, 12 minutes was good.

Rima: I remember talking during some commercial breaks in the first half when we got down double digits. I thought if we could just close the gap to under 10 at halftime — regroup at halftime — you just wanted to try to stay close with them so that big crowd could get into the game and maybe help push you over the hump.

UNI forward Bennett Koch: (Wes’ shot) put a smile on all our faces and realized we weren’t down by very much. We’ve been in games like this before. We know what to do.

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UNC head coach Roy Williams shouts at his team during the North Carolina at UNI basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in the McLeod Center.(Photo: Kelsey Kremer/The Register)

Second-half stumble

Things dipped further south for the home crowd. North Carolina ripped off a 9-2 surge to start the second half. Facing a 50-34 hole with 17:13 to play, the once-raucous McLeod Center was a shell of its first-half self.

Jacobson: They extended it to 16, and it got quiet in here.

Morgan: Obviously, that thought enters into your mind when you get down like that right away in the second half, but I’d give a lot of credit, again, to (Bohannon), Paul and Wes.

Bohannon: As soon as that huddle ended — we got out a little early before the media timeout ended — I think it was myself and Paul. We just took the guys around and literally said to everyone, ‘Guys, we’re down 16 points. Who cares? Stop worrying about the score. Stop worrying about the crowd. Stop worrying about North Carolina. Let’s just go play basketball.’

Rima: We dug a pretty good hole in the second half early on, but with that 3-point shot and the way Bohannon and Jesperson and Washpun can play, you’re thinking if we just go on a run — an 8-0, 10-0 run — somehow, someway, maybe they’ll get a little tight around the collar.

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UNI's Wes Washpun celebrates at the end of the North Carolina at UNI basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in the McLeod Center. The Panthers won the game 71 to 67. (Photo: Kelsey Kremer/The Register)

The run

Following the timeout, UNI immediately produced a 9-0 run in less than two minutes; Bohannon connected from deep, and Jesperson followed with a pair of treys. The teams traded baskets before Morgan hit from beyond the arc, slicing UNI’s deficit to 52-48 with 14:04 to play. Then, it was on.

Jacobson: The (three treys) happened fast. It went from almost silent in here to 90 seconds later, everybody was in the game. And then, it was a free-for-all.

Morgan: Just competing, man. That’s probably one of the most competitive games I’ve ever been a part of.

Bohannon: The last 14 minutes of the game, I don’t think there was anyone in the country that would’ve came in and beat us.

Jacobson: Wes had great control of that game the last 10 minutes of that game, probably. If not 10, for sure eight. We went to some ball screen stuff with the ball in his hands. Some of it on the wing, some of it in the middle — but it was really him making plays out of a ball screen. So for eight to 10 minutes, we put it on his shoulders. And he delivered.

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UNI fans storm the court after the Panthers beat the Tar Heels 71-67 during the North Carolina at UNI basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, in the McLeod Center.(Photo: Kelsey Kremer/The Register)

‘We’re going to get these guys’

UNI grabbed a 56-54 advantage with 9:21 remaining and took the lead for good on Bohannon’s 3-pointer with 2:56 to go. But it wasn’t sealed until late. With less than 20 seconds to play and the ball, North Carolina faced a 70-67 deficit. Joel Berry missed a 3-pointer, regained possession after an offensive rebound and tried to fire a cross-court pass to an open shooter. But Morgan turned defensive back and sank one of two free throws after getting fouled. Pandemonium ensued.

Northern Iowa 71, No. 1 North Carolina 67.

Rima: Kevin Boyle gave me one of his patented elbows in my side when Jeremy got the steal, saying, ‘Hey, we’re going to get these guys, Rim!' That’s I think when we thought, ‘You know what, a little magic’s going to happen in the McLeod Center tonight.’

Koch: When Jeremy got the steal, got the foul, starting walk to the line, I was like, ‘Yep, that’s it. There’s no way that this is not going to go our way, the way we wanted it.’ To be honest, I don’t know what I was thinking. I was so happy that we pulled this off.

Jacobson: I didn’t (think it was over yet). The guys did. You could see it. Jeremy caught it and got fouled, and they’re walking toward half court. You’re still trying to get their attention, which you can’t hear anything, and they have no interest in me or what I’m saying. So they’re walking and celebrating, which is great. You should be able to react in that moment and do that as a player. No question.

Morgan: When they stormed the court, I was just trying to be the first one in the middle of the pile. When you’ve got all those guys who you go to school with just out there celebrating with you, you’ve got the whole school behind you, I mean, I don’t have any words to describe it.

Friedman: I had no idea what was really going on. It was pretty crazy.

Koch: The only thing that was running through my mind was 'Don’t fall on the ground. Don’t get trampled.' But it was cool seeing all the fans get into it with us. I wish my parents had come down to storm the court, too, to be honest. That would’ve been fun.

Bohannon: Those types of atmospheres, you don’t’ really know what to do — just kind of jump around, be excited. As soon as the crowd came, one of my buddies from college who I had become really good friends with just tackled me, and we kind of enjoyed the moment a little bit.

Morgan: When I got a chance to hug my little brother after the game, he hugged me, and I could feel him kind of tearing up on my chest. And obviously, that made me start tearing up a little bit. Just growing up, we used to always talked about games like that, playing the No. 1 team. Getting that experience, then winning the game and then getting to share a moment with him like that was pretty cool.

Bohannon: Looking back, I can tell you it’s one of the greatest days I’ve ever had.

Rima: I would put that one right at the top of wins in that arena. … I think most people would feel like taking down North Carolina on your home court, that’s got to be our biggest home win ever in that arena. I would put that one at the top for a home-game win.

Dargan Southard covers preps, recruiting, Iowa and UNI athletics for the Iowa City Press-Citizen, The Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.